The [tag]William Jefferson[/tag] controversy is clearly a mess, especially for Dems, but I think [tag]Nancy Pelosi[/tag] has handled it pretty well so far. Unlike GOP leaders who have rallied to the defense of Cunningham, DeLay, and others, Pelosi has had the good sense to distance herself and the party from Jefferson’s problems.
In fact, yesterday, Pelosi privately asked Jefferson to [tag]resign[/tag], and publicly asked him to give up his seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee “in the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus.” Jefferson refused (both requests), but more importantly, Pelosi’s appeal sparked a near-revolt from members of the [tag]Congressional Black Caucus[/tag].
Furious black lawmakers, rallying behind Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), were pulled back from the brink of open revolt against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in an emergency meeting with her yesterday.
The meeting with a handful of [tag]CBC[/tag] members was called after Pelosi wrote the embattled lawmaker, who is at the center of a massive [tag]bribery[/tag] scandal, a curt note requesting his immediate resignation from the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
Outraged that one of its members was being picked on even though he has not been charged with a crime, the Congressional Black Caucus had intended to issue a defiant statement against their leader but agreed after the meeting to pause, at least briefly, for reflection.
A CBC aide said Pelosi had “singled out” Jefferson and even issued a vague electoral threat, saying, “The African-American community, which overwhelmingly backs the Democratic Party, will not take this lightly. I hope she enjoys being minority leader.”
On a certain level, the CBC is right to be concerned about a double standard. When Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) came under fire, Pelosi did not ask him to resign. For that matter, it’s hard to argue with the notion that Democratic leaders should, at a minimum, allow for a presumption of innocence when dealing with other Democrats.
Having said that, we’re talking about a man who got caught, on film, taking $100,000 in alleged bribe money out of an FBI informant’s car, only to have the FBI find that same money in his [tag]freezer[/tag].
Pelosi not only did the right thing on principle by urging Jefferson to step aside, she also did the right thing as far as protecting the party’s interests. The CBC really needs to cut her some slack on this.